*Official* First Test (Edgbaston, Birmingham) 16–20 June

[Spark]

Yep, & I do recall several articles from Australia media in the last 12 months questioning the positive approach vs. Australia and without qualifying it being on bowler friendly tracks.

Oh if you mean the Australian media then yeah they're idiots. Fox Cricket in particular has been an embarrassment for ages now.

 

[Ashes81]

I don't think this is accurate. It's whether they could score quickly in helpful bowling conditions in particular. On that front we very much don't know, because aside from that half an hour yesterday we haven't had those.

Could they score like this in the sort of conditions that were present on the first two days at Headingley last time around? That's an open question.

If conditions were like they were yesterday, or like they may be at Headingley, then of course we wouldn't score at 5 an over.

But in these conditions, we've shown that just like we pummelled India, New Zealand, Pakistan and S Africa, even this great Aussie attack hasn't been able to stop us scoring so quickly.

Now that doesn't mean we'll win the Ashes but I think most fans on both sides will have been surprised at just how freely we've scored.

 

[wpdavid]

IPL

Sorry mate, I didn't even consider that. Fair enough.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Probably because he was playing it from his lounge in Yorkshire? Unless there's some Lions tour of India that I've forgotten, I don't think he's ever played there.

IPL
Although didn't he get a century in one match

 

[Gob]

It's amazing that they are playing shot a ball without dragging on or edging. Maybe having such a clear mind does help in that regard

 

[Socerer 01]

IPL
Although didn't he get a century in one match

that and telling the ipl fans to shut the **** up were the two best things he did in India

 

[Zinzan]

How good from these two, match on a knives edge &...... Partnership: 44 Runs, 7 Ov (RR: 6.28)

 

[Burgey]

Batted very well. So annoyed at the freebies to Brook from Lyon. Got him up and going when he'd looked in strife early on

 

[trundler]

I do think we'll reach a synthesis between traditional test cricket and it's antithesis in Bazball but surely the main thing we can learn from it is that batsmen can get away with a lot more in favourable conditions and the huge gaps in traditional test cricket fields can be exploited much better than they traditionally are. Root's ramps aren't textbook but they're fairly low risk and put a ton of pressure on the bowling.

 

[Ashes81]

England, and Root in particular, have been superb this morning


The Aussies haven't bowled well but that largely been due to the pressure Root's put on them.

My only worry is we'll go for another dodgy declaration which will give The Aussies a chance of winning the match tomorrow.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

This batting from England honestly isn't a winning strategy in the long term, or at least I hope so. But while it's happening it's hilarious, because bowling attacks have crumbled time on time again

Bazball is the guy they tell you not to worry about

 

[ataraxia]

I do think we'll reach a synthesis between traditional test cricket and it's antithesis in Bazball but surely the main thing we can learn from it is that batsmen can get away with a lot more in favourable conditions and the huge gaps in traditional test cricket fields can be exploited much better than they traditionally are. Root's ramps aren't textbook but they're fairly low risk and put a ton of pressure on the bowling.

If this is a reply to me:

It's not even a bad shot IMO, considering the small number of balls that actually hit the stumps. However, on the first ball of the morning, the poor execution shows.

Love it.

 

[trundler]

If this is a reply to me:

Love it.

yea

 

[Burgey]

Haze should have started against Root today. He has a good record vs him. Understand going with Boland after his spell last night but I'd wager Root would rather have faced him

 

[mustardcharlie]

Here's a thought. Should England ever select anyone born south of the Trent? Ever!

 

[flibbertyjibber]

As we know 3 hours of Bazball today and England are setting over 200 to win and that is if they bat badly. I can imagine given we are 2 down Root may play more sensibly and the other end tees off and if someone gets in Root steps it up too.

Or over 300 in 3 hours the way we are going. Thought we were unable to do this sort of thing against an attack like this?

Bollocks, sit back and enjoy it Aussies. We love it.

 

[Nintendo]

Though as I've pointed out a bit, in the South Africa series England only scored over 200 once.

I get you but that stats a bit misleading. England only batted 5 times and one of those was a 130/1 in the 4th dig where they where smashing it everywhere, and another was a 415/9'd. All of this was in a series where root averaged single figures.

 

[The Sean]

That's a ridiculous cover drive from Brook. On the up, just glorious.

 

[Michelle Fivefer]

.

ok all I apologise. I like to look on the good side and not the negative

when it’s the Aussies turn to bat, I’ll be saying great shot a lot , and not moaning about bowlers all the time


not one person has said that’s a good shot by root. Not one bar me. It’s all bad bowling

We don't need to keep saying "that's a good shot by Root" because it's kind of what we expect from such a good batsman. An exceptional shot, certainly.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Shot Harry. Class act.